The BBC to mark Remembrance Week 2019 across TV, radio and online

BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5 Live will broadcast live from the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday, and BBC Radio 2 will broadcast the Festival of Remembrance live from the Albert Hall.

BBC Radio 3 will air The 2019 Free Thinking Imperial War Museum Remembrance Debate, which explores why cultural heritage is attacked during war and the ways we save, protect and restore what is targeted.

To mark the Two Minute Silence CBeebies and CBBC will simulcast Poppies, an evocative, dialogue-free animation set to a score by Steve Price and recorded by the BBC Philharmonic.

BBC English Regions, BBC NI, BBC Scotland and BBC Wales will all broadcast special radio programming.

There will be a relaunch of the digital experience, Armistice Day, which helps users explore what they might have done during the Great War through clips taken from the BBC Archive, personalised by where they live and whether they think they would have fought or stayed at home.

Tony Hall, Director General, BBC, says: “Remembrance is an important annual event in the BBC calendar. In the 75th anniversary year of D Day, those who made the ultimate sacrifice will be specially recognised in the annual Festival of Remembrance, broadcast on BBC TV and radio. On BBC One, Gary Lineker will provide a moving insight to the experiences of his late granddad in an often overlooked chapter of World War Two, which should not be missed.”

Gary Lineker says: “I am honoured that this very personal documentary will be played out during such a significant and poignant week. I hope the film will shine a light on the bravery of my grandad and all those thousands of other real heroes that fought during the Italian campaign.”

Pictured: Gary Lineker in Italy with World War Two veteran Fred Mason

PD

Huw Edwards presents The Royal British Legion’s annual Festival of Remembrance from the Royal Albert Hall on the evening of Saturday 9 November. Performed in front of Her Majesty The Queen, senior members of the Royal Family, the Prime Minister together with senior members of the military, the event honours the armed forces community for their service and sacrifice in defending our freedoms and way of life.

This year marks 75 years since 1944, a pivotal year in the Allied fight for freedom in the Second World War. There will be unique tributes to mark the 75th anniversary of the battles of Monte Cassino, Kohima and Imphal, and D-Day culminating in a parade of some of the last surviving veterans who fought and served in 1944.

Throughout the event we’ll remember the bond of friendship and collaboration that exists between Britain, the Commonwealth and her allies. A special tribute will take place to the work of the Allies during the Berlin Blockade in 1949 with the guest of honour, former pilot nonagenarian Colonel Gail Halvorsen. On the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Commonwealth we’ll pay tribute to those soldiers who have fought side by side with Britain. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of intelligence agency GCHQ, we’ll hear from two women who have played important roles in ensuring the nation's security in Bletchley Park during the Second World War and in today’s GCHQ.

The Armed Forces of today will also be involved and special recognition will be given to the personnel of the RFA Mounts Bay, who were one of the first teams to bring vital supplies and aid to the hurricane hit islands of the Bahamas.

Performers will include iconic Hollywood actor Jeff Goldblum and his band, and singer songwriter James Blunt. The event culminates in the act of remembrance and the iconic poppy drop. As the petals fall in the Royal Albert Hall, the Festival will pay tribute to all victims of war and remember those that made the ultimate sacrifice.

David Dimbleby presents live coverage from the Cenotaph in Whitehall on Sunday 10 November from 10.20am-12.30pm on BBC One, for the nation's Remembrance Sunday commemorations.

Highlights of the morning’s event will be shown later that day at 6.45pm on BBC Two.

At 11am the country comes together for the annual Two Minute Silence to honour the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and subsequent conflicts.

Her Majesty The Queen will be accompanied by senior Members of the Royal Family. The Prince of Wales, The Prime Minister, leading politicians, representatives of many of the world's religions, dignitaries from around the Commonwealth and military leaders will take part in the traditional wreath laying at the foot of the Cenotaph and the National Service of Remembrance.

After the formal ceremony, there follows the most poignant part of the morning, The Royal British Legion’s March Past - where 10,000 veterans march past the Cenotaph to pay their respects to fallen comrades.

On Horse Guards, Sophie Raworth will hear some of the remarkable stories of courage and sacrifice from those taking part. The films shown during the programme will further explore the theme of remembrance and its continued importance in the modern world, and touch on the emotion of the day by talking to veterans and their families.

The morning’s events offer an opportunity to remember all the men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

• Sunday 10 November from 10.20am-12.30pm on BBC One

Presenter and former England football captain Gary Lineker follows in the footsteps of his late grandad, Stanley Abbs, to explore a brutal but often overlooked chapter of World War Two.

The Italian campaign played a key part in the Allies’ victory in World War II, but whilst Gary is aware that his grandad served in Italy as a member of the Royal Army Medical Corps, he knows little more as his grandfather never talked to him about that time. To discover the true story behind his grandad’s war experiences and better understand the importance of this campaign, Gary travels to Italy, and using Stanley’s unit’s war diary as a guide, follows in his footsteps. Along his journey, Gary meets veterans from the Italian campaign who share poignant first-hand testimonies, bringing to life the unremitting reality of the combat in Italy.

As he finds out about the huge sacrifices the Italian veterans made and how much they endured, Gary is determined to make sure they receive the recognition they deserve, and that their huge contribution is never forgotten.

Pictured: Gary on the beach at Salerno, Italy, where his grandfather and other Allied troops landed in September 1943.

• broadcast over Remembrance Week

BBC Two will re-show the award winning film from Peter Jackson which transforms archive footage more than a century old, bringing to life the people who can best tell the story of World War One - the men who were there.

• Sunday 10 November, BBC Two

BBC Radio 2: Festival Of Remembrance

In the 75th anniversary year of D Day and the Battles of Monte Cassino and Kohima, Paddy O'Connell presents highlights from the Royal British Legion's Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, with spectacular music from star acts and massed military bands.

Veterans and service personnel engaged in current military operations join with the audience at the Royal Albert Hall to give thanks and pay tribute to all who gave their lives in the service of their country, and who continue to risk their lives today. The Royal British Legion theme is Remember Together, focusing on the importance of remembering the service, sacrifice and collaboration of the men and women of Britain, the Commonwealth and Allied nations who fought together and worked together.

Guests from the showbiz and military world tell Paddy of the special honour it is to be involved in this annual event.

The conclusion of the Festival features the service of Remembrance, during which thousands of poppies are dropped from the roof of the hall, representing the lives lost in both World Wars and subsequent conflicts.

• Saturday 9 November, 8pm-9pm

BBC Radio 3: The 2019 Free Thinking Imperial War Museum Remembrance Debate

Free Thinking presents a debate recorded at London’s Imperial War Museum inspired by the museum’s exhibition What Remains, which showcases over 50 photographs, oral histories, objects and artworks. Created in partnership with Historic England, the exhibition explores why cultural heritage is attacked during war and the ways we save, protect and restore what is targeted.

But who decides what’s worth saving and what is culturally significant enough to protect in wartimes and war zones?

Anne McElvoy is joined by a panel to discuss.

The panel are:
Peter Bazalgette - Chairman of ITV and former Chairman of Arts Council England
Carrie Riechardt - International Artist and Grassroots Activist
Zahed Taj-Eddin - Syrian-born Artist and Archaeologist
Rebecca Newall - Head of Art at the Imperial War Museum

• Thursday 7 November 10pm-10.45pm

BBC Radio 4: Prayer For The Day

With the Revd Liz Hanna who had direct experience of the Troubles when her brother-in-law, a member of the Ulster Defence Regiment, was murdered.

• Saturday 9 and Monday 11 to Friday 15 November, 5.43am-5.45am, Radio 4

BBC Radio 4: Sunday Worship - A Tale Of Two Cities

This Remembrance-tide, Sunday Worship visits two cities profoundly affected by war in the last century, Coventry and Berlin.

Today’s service focuses on reconciliation, and is led from Coventry Cathedral by the Dean, the Very Reverend John Witcombe, with contributions from Christians in Berlin reflecting both on the World Wars and on the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Coventry Cathedral Choir leads the congregation in music of Remembrance and hymns including: O God, Our Help In Ages Past (Croft) and Dear Lord And Father Of Mankind (Repton).

• Sunday 10 November 8.10am-8.50am, Radio 4

BBC Radio 4: Ceremony of Remembrance From The Cenotaph

Live coverage from London's Whitehall of the solemn ceremony when the nation remembers the sacrifice made by so many in the two world wars and in other more recent conflicts.

The traditional music of remembrance is played by the massed bands. After the Two Minutes’ Silence and Last Post is a short Service of Remembrance. During the March Past, both veterans and those involved in recent conflicts throughout the world share their thoughts.

• 10.30am - 11.45am

BBC Radio 4: Daily Service (LW and DAB)

A special service for Remembrance Day live from St Peter's Church, Belfast

Theme: Sacrifice….For the Fallen
Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:50-55
Led by the Revd Dr Bert Tosh
With the Priory Singers, Directed by Robert Thompson

• Monday 11 November 9.45am-10am

Daily Service (LW and DAB)

Theme: Sacrifice….Life
Reading: John 15: 12-17
Introit: For The Fallen (Douglas Guest)
Be Still My Soul (Finlandia)
Crossing The Bar (Parry)
O God Our Help In Ages Past (St Anne)
Led by Anna Drew
With the Daily Service Singers directed by Neil Taylor; Organist: Simon Leach

• Tuesday 12 November, 9.45am-10am

BBC Radio 5 Live: Remembrance Sunday: The Cenotaph

• Live coverage from the Whitehall ceremony as part of Laura Whitmore’s Sunday morning show on BBC Radio 5 Live.

To mark the Two Minute Silence at 11am on 11 November, CBeebies and CBBC will simulcast Poppies, an evocative, dialogue-free animation that sees war as experienced by animals in a WWI battlefield. The film is set to a score composed by Oscar-winning Steve Price (Gravity) and recorded by the BBC Philharmonic.

On CBeebies, a special episode of My Story (11 November) depicts what childhood was like 100 years ago, Time For School (11 November) returns for a special episode to mark Remembrance and Magic Hands (11 November) translates a Medley of War Time Songs into British Sign Language.

On CBBC, Harriet’s Army (10 November) looks back at life during WW1 and Operation Ouch! Goes Back In Time (10 and 11 November) travels back to the First World War to find out how to fix a broken bone in the trenches. Elsewhere on CBBC, Horrible Histories’ Frightful First World War (10 November) and Heroic Home Front (11 November) episodes take a look at the grim realities of both wars.

BBC Teach will host a collection of video resources and interactive articles for use in both primary and secondary school classrooms. For primary pupils, there’s an animated series called The A-Z of WWI, a School Radio story called A Soldier’s Tale, which uses illustrations, modern recreations of WW1 and original black and white images from 1914 and the war years, and an exploration from Ten Pieces of The Lark Ascending by Vaughan Williams - which looks at how the composer, who served as a stretcher bearer and a second lieutenant in the Royal Garrison Artillery, reflected the horrors he experienced in his subsequent music.

For secondary students, there’s The Women Of World War One presented by Kate Adie, a powerful collection of interviews and stories filmed in the 1960s and told through the eyes of World War One veterans and civilians; and a series in which David Olusoga explores the contribution of black people and colonial troops to World War One.

There are also resources created in collaboration with 14-18 NOW, the UK’s arts programme for the First World War centenary, that contain exclusive clips, images and audio from They Shall Not Grow Old, Peter Jackson’s extraordinary film bringing the war back to life, using the latest digital technology to render this footage in HD colour.

BBC English Regions and Nations

BBC English Regions
For Remembrance Week, the BBC’s Local and Regional teams will be reporting from events in their area. As well as talking to veterans, they will reflect the stories of today’s Armed Forces and will broadcast the two minutes silence live.

BBC Radio Wales
BBC Radio Wales will mark the silence from the cenotaph in Cardiff.

In addition, on Celebration Rev Canon Ian Rees will be leading a service of remembrance from St Mary's Church, Swansea, with a choice of hymns and anthems to reflect the solemnity of the occasion. The service comes from a church building that was itself a victim of war, and was badly damaged during the Swansea blitz of 1941. Its reconstruction reflects the confidence of its members that the church still had, and continues to have, a place in the heart of Swansea.

BBC Radio Cymru
Bwrw Golwg and Yr Oedfa will be marking Remembrance Sunday on BBC Radio Cymru. There will also be the first of a two part special documentary, entitled Cymry 1919, broadcast on that Sunday, 10th October, examining the act of remembrance.
BBC Radio Scotland

BBC Radio Scotland
Between 6.30am-7pm BBC Radio Scotland will mark Remembrance Sunday with a special service led by the Reverend Muriel Pearson of Cranhill Parish Church, Glasgow, including contributions by a member of her congregation, a former soldier who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

And in Remembrance Sunday with Cathy Macdonald between 10am-12noon we explore the value of looking back at past conflicts as time passes, the nature of remembering and how it gives us our foothold in history.

BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle
On BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle will broadcast an extended Sunday Sequence with a reflection/discussion on war and remembrance, before joining the live traditional service of remembrance from the Cenotaph in Whitehall until 11.45am.

BBC Archive
Following its enormous popularity last year, the BBC has relaunched its interactive digital experience Armistice Day. Audiences can explore what they might have done in World War One through clips taken from the BBC Archive, personalised by where they live and whether they think they would have fought or stayed at home - or they can take a different path by going directly to the interviews that interest them most.

The fascinating, harrowing and sometimes heartbreaking clips include interviews with soldiers who served in the First World War, as well as the families and loved ones who stayed behind. One clip sees a former soldier describing what it was like to watch the man standing next to him die suddenly, while others explore topics like the shame of being presented with a white feather.

The recently launched BBC Archive website will also be commemorating the armistice with a wide range of clips and programmes reflecting on Remembrance. Interviews from the Armistice Day experience will be added to the War and Conflict collection, which already features more than 100 clips and programmes on World War Two, including vivid radio reports from the time.